Little Italy
Little Italy - photo Bob Perkoski
Mention Little Italy to a Clevelander and you are likely to be regaled with stories of Neapolitan-style pizza, veal parm and creamy gelato. That's expected as this historic neighborhood has been home to Italian immigrants for generations. But dig a little deeper and you'll discover a lively borough where students, artists, families and visitors peaceably coexist. Second only to the restaurants in popularity are the area's art galleries and studios. Nearly two dozen galleries can be found along the charming brick lanes, with the highest concentration taking up residence in a converted brick schoolhouse. Close to University Circle and its medical, cultural and educational institutions, Little Italy is a natural choice for students and staffers of those institutions to live, eat and play.
GardenWalk Cleveland will feature more than 400 gardens in 11 Cleveland neighborhoods this weekend—showing off the work, creativity, and neighborhood pride of local gardeners.
Oberlin Conservatory of Music rising senior Damian Goggans and musicians from the Cleveland Orchestra will perform the works of forgotten Clevelander, 19th Century composer Justin Holland, at Lake View Cemetery's Classically Lake View chamber music concert series on Sunday, July 7.
Cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer Tara Seibel has been creating collectible posters for the Little Italy Art Walk since 2014. Last December she completed the mural "Happy Feast" in Presti's Bakery and will host several artists in her gallery above the bakery to kick off this year's Art Walk, running May 31 through June 2.
FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski provides a peek into the everyday lives of Clevelanders going about their business in the neighborhoods and on the streets of Cleveland.
World-renowned artist and native Clevelander Daniel Arsham will debut his first solo exhibit, "Score and Sound," at The Sculpture Center next week—which features iconic, eroded sculptural relics that reflect on the material and cultural histories of everyday objects.
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Cleveland Masterworks: Joseph Carabelli settled in Little Italy as a stone cutter and quickly built his reputation on works like the Wade Memorial Chapel in Lake View Cemetery.
After remaining closed since the pandemic's onset, Lake View Cemetery is ready to welcome back visitors to the Garfield Memorial and Wade Chapel on Memorial Day.
Western Reserve Historical Society's John Grabowski will explore how local neighborhood name changes have been influenced by shifting demographics, politicians, developers, and urban planners.
What started as a curious detour inspired by Depeche Mode's "Route 66" song turned into a longtime love affair with the iconic highway for photographer David Schwartz—and now we get to enjoy the end result with a new must-see exhibition.
PRE4CLE is all about preparing preschoolers for kindergarten, which studies show pays dividends down the road. As the organization reaches the five-year mark, it has much to celebrate but also decisions to make about where to go next.
Lake View Cemetery is turning 150 years old. Time for a party or two at one of Cleveland's most beautiful final resting spots.
Replacing urban vacant lots with green spaces provides countless benefits for local neighborhoods, but one of the most rewarding parts of the city's gardening program is seeing beginning gardeners transform into leaders.
Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.
With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.
Lauren Calig was inspired when she attended the "Facing History Together" Common Ground conversation in June, geared at restoring trust and civility in public discourse. But it didn't stop there—Calig, Laurel School's director of multicultural curriculum, decided to institute a series of ongoing lunchtime Common Ground conversations for middle and upper school students at Laurel.
Three years in the making, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) is ready to release its Progress Index to the public. Aimed at fostering inclusive Cleveland communities of choice and opportunity, the Index had previously been available to Cleveland’s 31 community development corporations (CDCs), who helped test and fine-tune the tool.
“A lot of people take for granted that this little special Japanese print gallery is in Cleveland,” says Michael Verne, who took over the gallery more than 30 years ago. “This is the one place in the world that you can see some of the highest-quality Japanese prints.”
As the summer solstice looms, groups of cycling advocates invite riders to celebrate Cleveland’s best bike year ever amid a host of two-wheeled activities with something for everyone.
This episode of "Neighbor Up Spotlight" welcomes Amanda Harris, who tells her successful employment story that was made possible by an innovative program — Step Up to UH. Also, Alicenne Passavanti explains how like opportunities are expanding into the hospitality industry.